EP0259830A1 - Sorting machine - Google Patents
Sorting machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0259830A1 EP0259830A1 EP87113105A EP87113105A EP0259830A1 EP 0259830 A1 EP0259830 A1 EP 0259830A1 EP 87113105 A EP87113105 A EP 87113105A EP 87113105 A EP87113105 A EP 87113105A EP 0259830 A1 EP0259830 A1 EP 0259830A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- recorded sheet
- sorting machine
- trays
- discharge
- transport
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
- G03G15/65—Apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material
- G03G15/6538—Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H31/00—Pile receivers
- B65H31/24—Pile receivers multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H39/00—Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs
- B65H39/10—Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad
- B65H39/11—Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad in superposed carriers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2405/00—Parts for holding the handled material
- B65H2405/10—Cassettes, holders, bins, decks, trays, supports or magazines for sheets stacked substantially horizontally
- B65H2405/11—Parts and details thereof
- B65H2405/111—Bottom
- B65H2405/1111—Bottom with several surface portions forming an angle relatively to each other
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- B65H2408/00—Specific machines
- B65H2408/10—Specific machines for handling sheet(s)
- B65H2408/11—Sorters or machines for sorting articles
- B65H2408/112—Sorters or machines for sorting articles with stationary location in space of the bins and in-feed member movable from bin to bin
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a sorting machine, and more particularly to a post-processing sorting machine for selectively sorting and housing recorded sheets from a photocopier or printer.
- a conventional sorting machine in which trays are fixed to maintain vertical intervals, respectively, and a recorded sheet fed from a feed opening by a transport mechanism is discharged into a tray selected by a tray selecting mechanism.
- trays fixed to maintain vertical intervals, respectively are moved integrally upwardly and downwardly so as to align an entry of a selected tray with a recorded sheet discharge portion so that the recorded sheet is discharged.
- a sorting machine in which the trays are moved integrally requires a complicated mechanism for moving the trays so as to match the timing with the transport mechanism.
- the trays become very heavy so that means for lifting the trays requires a large driving capacity and there are difficulties in achieving high speed in transporting the recorded sheets to the trays.
- a sorting machine comprises a plurality of trays, transport means for transporting a recorded sheet introduced through a feed opening, discharge means for discharging the recorded sheet that has been transported to one of the plurality of trays, a guide member for guiding the recorded sheet to the discharge means, shifting means for shifting the discharge means and the guide member to the tray into which the recorded sheet is to be discharged, and hold means, being retractile freely in a transport direction of the recorded sheet in response to the transfer of the discharge means, for holding the recorded sheet in position between the hold means and the transport means.
- hold means holds the recorded sheet to the transport means while the recorded sheet is being guided to the discharge means by the transport means, so that there is no need to provide a supporting device such as a pinch roller to hold the recorded sheet across substantially the whole transporting range of the transport means as in conventional arrangements. Furthermore, the hold means contracts and elongates freely in the transport direction of the transport means so that, even if the recorded sheet jams in the machine, the recorded sheet can be removed easily.
- each of the plurality of trays is disposed upwardly inclined along the discharge direction of the recorded sheet.
- a coupling member is disposed on each side plate of each tray, and means for freely and detachably fixing each of the plurality of trays through the coupling members is also provided.
- the trays are freely detachable so that any of the trays can be easily removed from the sorting machine, thereby greatly improving maintenance work.
- Figs. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention.
- Reference numeral 1 denotes a sorting portion composed of the principal components of the main unit.
- Reference numeral 2 denotes a feed portion having a feed opening 3 and, as shown in Fig. 1B, a transport belt 4, a drive pulley 5A, a follow pulley 5B, a guide plate 5C and a drive motor 6.
- This feed portion 2 is openable or integrally rotatingly movable in the direction of arrow A around a hinge (not shown). That is, if a jam occurs while the main unit is performing transport or discharge, an opening between the sorting portion 1 and the feed portion 2 can be created by releasing the coupling between them. This makes it extremely simple to perform inspections and to clear any jams.
- the sorting portion 1 and the feed portion 2 are disposed on a movable platform 1A.
- One corner on the sorting portion 1 side of the movable platform 1A is formed into a cut-away portion 1B so as to make it easy for an operator to approach the sorting portion more closely and remove sorted sheets from the trays 7.
- Reference numberal 100 denotes an electric stapler mounted on the upper portion of an outercase 8.
- Fig. 2 shows an arrangement for fixing the trays 7 to side frames 8A of the outer-case 8. That is, on bent portions 7D on both sides of the tray 7 are formed cog- shaped coupling portions 7A and protrusions 7B. Furthermore, the side frames 8A have a plurality of support plates 8B each formed into a rectangular shape extending from a front plate 8E of a respective side frame 8A. On the side frames 8A are also disposed plates 8D having a plurality of square holes 8C. The positions of the support plates 8B and the square holes 8C are so arranged to each other as to set an attachment angle of the trays 7.
- Reference numeral 9 is a holding plate having holding notches 9A. The holding plate 9 can be fastened to the front plate 8E of the side frame 8A with a screw 10.
- the tray 7 is mounted on top of the rectangular support plates 8B so that the tray 7 is supported in the condition shown by the imaginary line.
- the holding plates 9 are fitted to the front plates 8E.
- the holding plates 9 are fastened to front plates 8E of the side frames 8A by the screws 10. This restricts the movement of the trays 7 in either direction.
- the holding plates 9 are removed and the tray 7 is pulled out towards the left as shown in Fig. 2.
- reference numeral 11 denotes a discharge unit supported by a supporting frame 12 so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly.
- Reference numeral 13 denotes a discharge roller supported pivotally by its shaft on the supporting frame 12, 14 a driven roller kept in contact with the discharge roller 13, and 15 a guide claw member (hereinafter referred to as a claw) for guiding a recorded sheet to the discharge roller 13.
- Reference numeral 16 is a spiral spring having a band shape and wound around a rotatable spool 16B rotatably mounted on a shaft 16A supported by a frame.
- the spiral spring 16 functions so as to rewind with constant force around the rotatable spool 16B on the shaft 16A under its own spring force irrespective of how far it is pulled out.
- a plurality of springs 16 are provided around the shaft 16A through spools 16B. The end of each spring 16 is fixed to the support frame 12, so that recorded sheets being transported are held between the straight surface ofthe pulled out portion of the spring 16 and the surface of the transport belt 4.
- the surface of the spring 16 has low friction and is finished so as to be smooth, so that a recorded sheet is transported in a downward direction with only the frictional force generated by the transport belt 4.
- the spiral springs 16 are made of, for example, copper base metal material, and by coming into contact with the sheet they remove or discharge static electricity produced on the surface of the sheet. Furthermore, the spiral springs 16 are so formed that, when they are extended, their cross section, as cut perpendicular to the direction of extension, becomes convex to the side on which they come into contact with the sheet, and that they become linear vertically, namely, in the direction of extension as if a metal tape measure was extended.
- the recorded sheet is deflected by the guide claw 15 so as to be sandwiched between the discharge roller 13 and the driven roller 14, and then discharged into a tray 7.
- Fig. 3 shows the condition in which a recorded sheet 20 transported from above in this manner is discharged into a tray 7 by the discharge unit 11.
- the discharge rollers 13 are driven by a pulley 23 attached to a drive shaft 22 through speed-increasing gears 21 mounted respectively on discharge roller shaft 13A and drive shaft 22.
- this pulley 23 is driven by one of the transport belts 4 with which it is in contact. Consequently, discharge rollers 13 rotate at a slightly higher speed than the speed of belts 4 so as to prevent jams from occurring.
- Reference numeral 24 denotes metal fasteners which keep the ends of the spiral springs 16 fastened to the support frame 12 by screws, respectively.
- the spiral springs 16 are kept along the curved outer faces of the metal fasteners 24, causing the ends of the springs to be fastened to the support frame 12.
- the metal fasteners 24 and the support frame 12 are taken as separate parts, but they may be integrated into a single unit.
- guide pins 30A and 30B for shifting the unit are disposed on the upper and lower edges of both sides of the discharge unit 11. These pins 30A and 30B are slidably engaged within vertical guide grooves 31 disposed on the side frames 8A of the outer-case 8.
- Reference numeral 32 denotes a sprocket supported on a shaft in the vicinity of a side frame 8A, and 33 is a sprocket chain.
- the sprocket chain 33 and the discharge unit 11 are linked.
- the drive of the chain 33 can shift the discharge unit 11 intermittently upwards or downwards. That is, the sprocket chain 33 is stretched between the sprocket 32 (shown in Fig. 4) and the sprocket 34 (shown in Fig. 5) that is disposed in the lower portion of the sprocket chain 33.
- a Geneva wheel 35 having five engaging slots 35A is disposed coaxially with this lower sprocket 34.
- a Geneva cam 36 having an engaging pin 36A is disposed for intermittently rotating the Geneva wheel 35.
- the engaging pin 36A disposed on the Geneva cam 36 engages with one of the engaging slots 35A on the Geneva wheel 35 each time the Geneva cam 36 performs one rotation so that one rotation of the Geneva cam 36 makes 1/5 rotation of the Geneva wheel 35.
- the sprocket chain 33 is shifted step by step through distances corresponding to that rotation, so that the discharge unit 11 can be shifted upwardly and downwardly in alignment with the intervals at which the trays 7 are disposed.
- the ratio of moving time to stopping time is 1:4.
- reference numeral 40 denotes a guide plate disposed on the bottom side of the feed opening 3, and 41 an entry sensor disposed on the guide plate 40.
- the entry sensor 41 is composed of a photo-interrupter and its light path interceptor, that is a tiltable lever 41A to shut or open the light path.
- the insertion of a recorded sheet is detected by the entry sensor 41, and then the drive motor 6 is driven.
- the recorded sheet is sandwiched between the transport belts 4 and the feed rollers 42 and fed.
- a controller judges that a jam has occurred and stops the drive motor 6.
- Reference numerals 43A and 43B are a light emitter and a light receiver of a discharge detecting sensor 43 for confirming the discharging of the recorded sheet.
- a recorded sheet passes across the light path 43C of that sensor 43, its passage is detected by interruption of the light path 43C.
- a tiltable light-shutting lever that can be tilted by the recorded sheet, not shown but disposed on the discharge unit 11, intercepts the light path to permit detection.
- the light emitter 43A and light receiver 43B are disposed in the position of the transport belt 4 side of the discharge unit 11, but could also be disposed on the tray entry side of the discharge unit 11.
- Reference numeral 44 denotes a sensor for detecting an initial position of discharge unit 11.
- the discharge unit 11 When the discharge unit 11 reaches an uppermost tray, that is a non-sorting tray, it contacts an actuator of the sensor 44, thereby detecting the initial position. At this time the upward movement of the discharge unit 11 is stopped, and simultaneously all control programs for sorting are returned to their initial conditions.
- Reference numeral 45 denotes a sensor disposed in the vicinity of and relative to the Geneva cam 36 for detecting the position of the Geneva cam 36 at each rotation.
- This sensor 45 can be arranged, for example, in combination with a light-shutting plate disposed on a portion of the Geneva cam 36 and a photo interrupter whose light path can be intercepted by this light-shutting plate. In this way, an output signal from the above-mentioned sensor 45 confirms that the discharge unit 11 has shifted to the tray entry at the next level, and the feed operation for a next recorded sheet can continue.
- a position of the feed opening 3 of the sorting machine is arranged so as to be finely adjustable upwardly and downwardly. Consequently, it is possible, for example, to adjust the height of the feed opening 3 appropriately in accordance with the height of the feed outlet 50A of the photocopier 50.
- the feed rollers 42 are so arranged as to be pressed into contact with the transport belts 4, so as to be driven by the belts 4.
- a lower guide plate 40 and a shaft support plate 51 supporting a shaft 42A of the feed rollers 42 are formed integrally from the same metal plate. Consequently, the shaft support plate 51 and a side plate 2a of the feed portion 2 are joined and can be fastened by a bolt 52.
- Reference numeral 51A denotes a horizontally elongated hole formed in the shaft support plate 51, and, as shown in Fig. 6A, four of these holes 51A are disposed on each shaft support plate 51.
- four vertically elongated attaching holes 2B are disposed in each of two vertical rows on the side plate 2A.
- the combination of the horizontally elongated holes 51A and the vertically elongated attaching holes 2B makes it possible to adjust appropriately the positions of the feed rollers 42, and at the same time the horizontal and vertical positions of the lower guide plate 40, with the bolts 52.
- a coupling portion 51B that fixes a feed entry upper plate 53, is formed integrally with the shaft support plate 51.
- a coupling portion 40B, that fixes a feed entry lower plate 54, is formed integrally with the outer place 40A which is formed by bending the lower guide plate 40. In this way, it is possible to adjust the feed arrangement from the feed opening 3 to the feed rollers 42 both vertically and horizontally in accordance with the fixed position of the shaft support plate 51. Furthermore, it is possible to freely change the shape and the length of the portion of the feed opening 3 that protrudes to the outside, as desired.
- a sorting operation of this embodiment As shown in Fig. 6A, when a recorded sheet 55 ejected from the photocopier 50 is guided to the feed opening 3, the entry sensor 41 detects the insertion of the recorded sheet 55 as explained with reference to Fig. 1B, and the transport belts 4 are rotated by the transport motor 6.
- the recorded sheet that is sandwiched between the transport belts 4 and the feed rollers 42 is transported upwardly along the transport belts 4 and the guide plate 5C, is inverted at the position of the upper follow pulley 5B, and is transported downwardly together with the belts 4 while being held between the spiral flat springs 16 and the belts 4.
- the discharge unit 11 is moved either upwardly or downwardly from its initial position to align with the spaced array of the trays 7 by the intermittent shifting action explained with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, that is by the action of the Geneva cam 36, the Geneva wheel 35, and the sprocket chain 33.
- the discharge unit 11 stops at the position of the selected tray. Then, the above-mentioned recorded sheet that has been transported is guided between the discharge rollers 13 and the follow rollers 14 by the guide claws 15 of the discharge unit 11, finally being discharged to the selected tray by rotation of the discharge rollers 13.
- the entry sensor 41 and the sensor 43 monitor whether or not the recorded sheet has been discharged to its tray, making it possible to detect if a jam occurs at either of the positions monitored by these sensors.
- the discharge unit 11 shifts again, that shifting being detected by the cam sensor 45.
- the machine stands by for the discharge of the next recorded sheet.
- the above explanation relates to a sorting machine in which the trays are arrayed and fixed so as to maintain a predetermined interval in a vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this type of arrangement.
- the present invention can also be applied to a sorting machine in which the trays are maintained in a stacked condition and their entry portions are shiftable in a vertical direction, or to a sorting machine in which the trays are not arrayed in a vertical direction.
- the above embodiment uses a transport belt as the most suitable transport means, but the present invention is not limited to using a transport belt.
- the present invention can be applied even when, for instance, a transport pulley having a high friction coefficient is used jointly.
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Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a sorting machine, and more particularly to a post-processing sorting machine for selectively sorting and housing recorded sheets from a photocopier or printer.
- A conventional sorting machine is known in which trays are fixed to maintain vertical intervals, respectively, and a recorded sheet fed from a feed opening by a transport mechanism is discharged into a tray selected by a tray selecting mechanism. In another arrangement already known, trays fixed to maintain vertical intervals, respectively, are moved integrally upwardly and downwardly so as to align an entry of a selected tray with a recorded sheet discharge portion so that the recorded sheet is discharged.
- Conventional sorting machines in which the trays are fixed, however, have a complex arrangement for discharging a recorded sheet guided from the feed opening to the selected tray through the transport mechanism and the tray selecting mechanism, making the overall machine very costly, creating difficult operation, and preventing easy maintenance and inspections.
- Furthermore, a sorting machine in which the trays are moved integrally requires a complicated mechanism for moving the trays so as to match the timing with the transport mechanism. In cases where a large number of recorded sheets are discharged to the trays, the trays become very heavy so that means for lifting the trays requires a large driving capacity and there are difficulties in achieving high speed in transporting the recorded sheets to the trays.
- It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sorting machine that can offer a compact overall design by simplifying the transport mechanism.
- It is another object of the present invention to provide a sorting machine that facilitates maintenance and inspections of the transport mechanism.
- It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sorting machine that can offer high speed sorting and high storage capacity.
- In a first aspect of the present invention, a sorting machine comprises a plurality of trays, transport means for transporting a recorded sheet introduced through a feed opening, discharge means for discharging the recorded sheet that has been transported to one of the plurality of trays, a guide member for guiding the recorded sheet to the discharge means, shifting means for shifting the discharge means and the guide member to the tray into which the recorded sheet is to be discharged, and hold means, being retractile freely in a transport direction of the recorded sheet in response to the transfer of the discharge means, for holding the recorded sheet in position between the hold means and the transport means.
- In this first aspect of the present invention, hold means holds the recorded sheet to the transport means while the recorded sheet is being guided to the discharge means by the transport means, so that there is no need to provide a supporting device such as a pinch roller to hold the recorded sheet across substantially the whole transporting range of the transport means as in conventional arrangements. Furthermore, the hold means contracts and elongates freely in the transport direction of the transport means so that, even if the recorded sheet jams in the machine, the recorded sheet can be removed easily.
- In a second aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of trays is disposed upwardly inclined along the discharge direction of the recorded sheet. A coupling member is disposed on each side plate of each tray, and means for freely and detachably fixing each of the plurality of trays through the coupling members is also provided. In this second aspect of the present invention, the trays are freely detachable so that any of the trays can be easily removed from the sorting machine, thereby greatly improving maintenance work.
- The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- Fig. 1A is a perspective view showing a sorting machine according to the present invention;
- Fig. 1B is a schematic side view showing the principal internal components of the sorting machine shown in Fig. 1A;
- Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the engaging arrangement of trays in a sorting machine according to the present invention;
- Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of a discharge unit according to the present invention;
- Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an upper-half portion of a sorting machine according to the present invention;
- Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing discharge unit shifting means of the present invention;
- Fig. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing a feed portion of the present invention; and
- Fig. 6B is a perspective view showing a side plate of the feed portion shown in Fig. 6A.
- Figs. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a sorting portion composed of the principal components of the main unit.Reference numeral 2 denotes a feed portion having a feed opening 3 and, as shown in Fig. 1B, atransport belt 4, adrive pulley 5A, afollow pulley 5B, aguide plate 5C and adrive motor 6. Thisfeed portion 2 is openable or integrally rotatingly movable in the direction of arrow A around a hinge (not shown). That is, if a jam occurs while the main unit is performing transport or discharge, an opening between thesorting portion 1 and thefeed portion 2 can be created by releasing the coupling between them. This makes it extremely simple to perform inspections and to clear any jams. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1A, thesorting portion 1 and thefeed portion 2 are disposed on amovable platform 1A. One corner on thesorting portion 1 side of themovable platform 1A is formed into a cut-away portion 1B so as to make it easy for an operator to approach the sorting portion more closely and remove sorted sheets from thetrays 7.Reference numberal 100 denotes an electric stapler mounted on the upper portion of anoutercase 8. - Fig. 2 shows an arrangement for fixing the
trays 7 toside frames 8A of the outer-case 8. That is, on bent portions 7D on both sides of thetray 7 are formed cog-shaped coupling portions 7A and protrusions 7B. Furthermore, theside frames 8A have a plurality ofsupport plates 8B each formed into a rectangular shape extending from afront plate 8E of arespective side frame 8A. On theside frames 8A are also disposedplates 8D having a plurality ofsquare holes 8C. The positions of thesupport plates 8B and thesquare holes 8C are so arranged to each other as to set an attachment angle of thetrays 7. Reference numeral 9 is a holding plate having holdingnotches 9A. The holding plate 9 can be fastened to thefront plate 8E of theside frame 8A with ascrew 10. - To attach a tray, first the protrusions 7B of the
tray 7 are inserted into thesquare holes 8C in theplates 8D on theside frames 8A, then thetray 7 is mounted on top of therectangular support plates 8B so that thetray 7 is supported in the condition shown by the imaginary line. Once all of thetrays 7 are supported in this manner on theside frames 8A, the holding plates 9 are fitted to thefront plates 8E. After thetrays 7 have been attached so that the top edges of theholding notches 9A couple with thenotches 7C formed by thecoupling portions 7A of thetrays 7, the holding plates 9 are fastened tofront plates 8E of theside frames 8A by thescrews 10. This restricts the movement of thetrays 7 in either direction. When atray 7 is to be removed or replaced, the holding plates 9 are removed and thetray 7 is pulled out towards the left as shown in Fig. 2. - The explanation of the
sorting portion 1 will be continued with reference once more to Fig. 1B. Here,reference numeral 11 denotes a discharge unit supported by a supportingframe 12 so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly.Reference numeral 13 denotes a discharge roller supported pivotally by its shaft on the supportingframe 12, 14 a driven roller kept in contact with thedischarge roller 13, and 15 a guide claw member (hereinafter referred to as a claw) for guiding a recorded sheet to thedischarge roller 13. -
Reference numeral 16 is a spiral spring having a band shape and wound around arotatable spool 16B rotatably mounted on ashaft 16A supported by a frame. Thespiral spring 16 functions so as to rewind with constant force around therotatable spool 16B on theshaft 16A under its own spring force irrespective of how far it is pulled out. In this embodiment, a plurality ofsprings 16 are provided around theshaft 16A throughspools 16B. The end of eachspring 16 is fixed to thesupport frame 12, so that recorded sheets being transported are held between the straight surface ofthe pulled out portion of thespring 16 and the surface of thetransport belt 4. Furthermore, the surface of thespring 16 has low friction and is finished so as to be smooth, so that a recorded sheet is transported in a downward direction with only the frictional force generated by thetransport belt 4. Thespiral springs 16 are made of, for example, copper base metal material, and by coming into contact with the sheet they remove or discharge static electricity produced on the surface of the sheet. Furthermore, thespiral springs 16 are so formed that, when they are extended, their cross section, as cut perpendicular to the direction of extension, becomes convex to the side on which they come into contact with the sheet, and that they become linear vertically, namely, in the direction of extension as if a metal tape measure was extended. The recorded sheet is deflected by theguide claw 15 so as to be sandwiched between thedischarge roller 13 and the drivenroller 14, and then discharged into atray 7. - Fig. 3 shows the condition in which a recorded
sheet 20 transported from above in this manner is discharged into atray 7 by thedischarge unit 11. In Fig. 3, thedischarge rollers 13 are driven by apulley 23 attached to adrive shaft 22 through speed-increasinggears 21 mounted respectively ondischarge roller shaft 13A and driveshaft 22. Also, thispulley 23 is driven by one of thetransport belts 4 with which it is in contact. Consequently,discharge rollers 13 rotate at a slightly higher speed than the speed ofbelts 4 so as to prevent jams from occurring.Reference numeral 24 denotes metal fasteners which keep the ends of the spiral springs 16 fastened to thesupport frame 12 by screws, respectively. The spiral springs 16 are kept along the curved outer faces of themetal fasteners 24, causing the ends of the springs to be fastened to thesupport frame 12. In the present embodiment, themetal fasteners 24 and thesupport frame 12 are taken as separate parts, but they may be integrated into a single unit. A staticelectricity discharge brush 25, disposed on thesupport frame 12, removes or discharges static electricity from the surface of a sheet being discharged. - Next, an explanation will be provided of the means for shifting the discharge unit upwardly and downwardly, and of the means for selecting a
tray 7, with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 4, guide pins 30A and 30B for shifting the unit are disposed on the upper and lower edges of both sides of thedischarge unit 11. Thesepins vertical guide grooves 31 disposed on the side frames 8A of the outer-case 8. -
Reference numeral 32 denotes a sprocket supported on a shaft in the vicinity of aside frame sprocket chain 33 and thedischarge unit 11 are linked. The drive of thechain 33 can shift thedischarge unit 11 intermittently upwards or downwards. That is, thesprocket chain 33 is stretched between the sprocket 32 (shown in Fig. 4) and the sprocket 34 (shown in Fig. 5) that is disposed in the lower portion of thesprocket chain 33. In this embodiment, aGeneva wheel 35 having fiveengaging slots 35A is disposed coaxially with thislower sprocket 34. Furthermore, aGeneva cam 36 having anengaging pin 36A is disposed for intermittently rotating theGeneva wheel 35. When theGeneva cam 36 is driven by a drive motor (not shown), the engagingpin 36A disposed on theGeneva cam 36 engages with one of the engagingslots 35A on theGeneva wheel 35 each time theGeneva cam 36 performs one rotation so that one rotation of theGeneva cam 36 makes 1/5 rotation of theGeneva wheel 35. Thesprocket chain 33 is shifted step by step through distances corresponding to that rotation, so that thedischarge unit 11 can be shifted upwardly and downwardly in alignment with the intervals at which thetrays 7 are disposed. In this embodiment the ratio of moving time to stopping time is 1:4. - Next, an explanation will be provided of the detecting means disposed on the present embodiment of a sorting machine. In Fig. 1B,
reference numeral 40 denotes a guide plate disposed on the bottom side of thefeed opening guide plate 40. Theentry sensor 41 is composed of a photo-interrupter and its light path interceptor, that is a tiltable lever 41A to shut or open the light path. The insertion of a recorded sheet is detected by theentry sensor 41, and then thedrive motor 6 is driven. The recorded sheet is sandwiched between thetransport belts 4 and thefeed rollers 42 and fed. If the light remains intercepted even after the time the sheet takes to pass the detecting position, namely, the time from light interception bysensor 41 to reception once again has exceeded the sufficient time set for the sheet to pass the position, a controller (not shown) judges that a jam has occurred and stops thedrive motor 6. -
Reference numerals 43A and 43B are a light emitter and a light receiver of adischarge detecting sensor 43 for confirming the discharging of the recorded sheet. When a recorded sheet passes across thelight path 43C of thatsensor 43, its passage is detected by interruption of thelight path 43C. Even when the recorded sheet is a material such as a transparent sheet, a tiltable light-shutting lever that can be tilted by the recorded sheet, not shown but disposed on thedischarge unit 11, intercepts the light path to permit detection. In this embodiment, thelight emitter 43A and light receiver 43B are disposed in the position of thetransport belt 4 side of thedischarge unit 11, but could also be disposed on the tray entry side of thedischarge unit 11. -
Reference numeral 44 denotes a sensor for detecting an initial position ofdischarge unit 11. When thedischarge unit 11 reaches an uppermost tray, that is a non-sorting tray, it contacts an actuator of thesensor 44, thereby detecting the initial position. At this time the upward movement of thedischarge unit 11 is stopped, and simultaneously all control programs for sorting are returned to their initial conditions. -
Reference numeral 45 denotes a sensor disposed in the vicinity of and relative to theGeneva cam 36 for detecting the position of theGeneva cam 36 at each rotation. Thissensor 45 can be arranged, for example, in combination with a light-shutting plate disposed on a portion of theGeneva cam 36 and a photo interrupter whose light path can be intercepted by this light-shutting plate. In this way, an output signal from the above-mentionedsensor 45 confirms that thedischarge unit 11 has shifted to the tray entry at the next level, and the feed operation for a next recorded sheet can continue. - Next, a more detailed explanation will be made of the
feed portion 2 with reference to Figs. 6A and 6B. A position of thefeed opening 3 of the sorting machine is arranged so as to be finely adjustable upwardly and downwardly. Consequently, it is possible, for example, to adjust the height of thefeed opening 3 appropriately in accordance with the height of thefeed outlet 50A of thephotocopier 50. Moreover, as described above, thefeed rollers 42 are so arranged as to be pressed into contact with thetransport belts 4, so as to be driven by thebelts 4. - In this embodiment, a
lower guide plate 40 and ashaft support plate 51 supporting ashaft 42A of thefeed rollers 42 are formed integrally from the same metal plate. Consequently, theshaft support plate 51 and a side plate 2a of thefeed portion 2 are joined and can be fastened by abolt 52.Reference numeral 51A denotes a horizontally elongated hole formed in theshaft support plate 51, and, as shown in Fig. 6A, four of theseholes 51A are disposed on eachshaft support plate 51. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 6B, four vertically elongated attachingholes 2B are disposed in each of two vertical rows on theside plate 2A. Accordingly, the combination of the horizontallyelongated holes 51A and the vertically elongated attachingholes 2B makes it possible to adjust appropriately the positions of thefeed rollers 42, and at the same time the horizontal and vertical positions of thelower guide plate 40, with thebolts 52. - Furthermore, a
coupling portion 51B, that fixes a feed entryupper plate 53, is formed integrally with theshaft support plate 51. Acoupling portion 40B, that fixes a feed entrylower plate 54, is formed integrally with theouter place 40A which is formed by bending thelower guide plate 40. In this way, it is possible to adjust the feed arrangement from thefeed opening 3 to thefeed rollers 42 both vertically and horizontally in accordance with the fixed position of theshaft support plate 51. Furthermore, it is possible to freely change the shape and the length of the portion of thefeed opening 3 that protrudes to the outside, as desired. - Next, an explanation will be made of a sorting operation of this embodiment as arranged above. As shown in Fig. 6A, when a recorded
sheet 55 ejected from thephotocopier 50 is guided to thefeed opening 3, theentry sensor 41 detects the insertion of the recordedsheet 55 as explained with reference to Fig. 1B, and thetransport belts 4 are rotated by thetransport motor 6. The recorded sheet that is sandwiched between thetransport belts 4 and thefeed rollers 42 is transported upwardly along thetransport belts 4 and theguide plate 5C, is inverted at the position of theupper follow pulley 5B, and is transported downwardly together with thebelts 4 while being held between the spiralflat springs 16 and thebelts 4. - On the other hand, the
discharge unit 11 is moved either upwardly or downwardly from its initial position to align with the spaced array of thetrays 7 by the intermittent shifting action explained with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, that is by the action of theGeneva cam 36, theGeneva wheel 35, and thesprocket chain 33. Thedischarge unit 11 stops at the position of the selected tray. Then, the above-mentioned recorded sheet that has been transported is guided between thedischarge rollers 13 and thefollow rollers 14 by theguide claws 15 of thedischarge unit 11, finally being discharged to the selected tray by rotation of thedischarge rollers 13. - At this time, however, the
entry sensor 41 and thesensor 43 monitor whether or not the recorded sheet has been discharged to its tray, making it possible to detect if a jam occurs at either of the positions monitored by these sensors. When the discharge action is completed, thedischarge unit 11 shifts again, that shifting being detected by thecam sensor 45. When the shifting is completed, the machine stands by for the discharge of the next recorded sheet. - The above explanation relates to a sorting machine in which the trays are arrayed and fixed so as to maintain a predetermined interval in a vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this type of arrangement. The present invention can also be applied to a sorting machine in which the trays are maintained in a stacked condition and their entry portions are shiftable in a vertical direction, or to a sorting machine in which the trays are not arrayed in a vertical direction.
- Furthermore, the above embodiment uses a transport belt as the most suitable transport means, but the present invention is not limited to using a transport belt. The present invention can be applied even when, for instance, a transport pulley having a high friction coefficient is used jointly.
Claims (8)
a plurality of trays;
transport means for transporting a recorded sheet introduced through a feed opening;
discharge means for discharging said recorded sheet to one of said plurality of trays;
a guide member for guiding said recorded sheet to said discharge means;
shifting means for shifting said discharge means and said guide member to a tray into which said recorded sheet is to be discharged; and
hold means, being retractile in a transport direction of said recorded sheet in response to a shifting of said discharge means, for holding said recorded sheet.
characterized in that hold means comprises a spiral spring of elastic strip material which has one end wound around a rotatable member and the other end fastened to said discharge means.
characterized in that transport means comprises:
a transport belt for transporting said recorded sheet by friction;
drive means for driving said transport belt;
a lower guide plate for guiding said recorded sheet from said feed opening to said transport belt; and
a feed roller for sandwiching said recorded sheet between said feed roller and said transport belt and feeding said recorded sheet.
characterized in that discharge means comprises a discharge roller and drive means for driving said discharge roller by said transport belt.
characterized by further comprising:
a shaft support member formed integrally with said lower guide plate for rotatably supporting said feed roller; and
fixing means for detachably and adjustably fixing said shaft support member in a transport direction of said transport belt, and in a direction so as to make said feed roller contact said transport belt.
characterized by further comprising:
an upper plate and a lower plate for forming a guide path for said recorded sheet from an external apparatus to said lower guide plate;
means for detachably fixing said upper plate to said shaft support member; and
means for detachably fixing said lower plate to said lower guide plate
characterized in that shifting means comprises an endless chain linked to said discharge means, a Geneva wheel for driving said chain, and a Geneva cam for rotating intermittently said Geneva wheel.
characterized by further comprising:
a coupling member disposed on a side plate of each of said trays; and
fixing means for detachably fixing each of said plurality of trays through said coupling member, such that each of said plurality of trays is disposed upwardly inclined along a discharge direction of said recorded sheet.
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP210671/86 | 1986-09-09 | ||
JP21067286A JPS6366064A (en) | 1986-09-09 | 1986-09-09 | Paper collector |
JP21067186A JPS6366067A (en) | 1986-09-09 | 1986-09-09 | Paper collector |
JP137364/86U | 1986-09-09 | ||
JP13736486U JPH0533491Y2 (en) | 1986-09-09 | 1986-09-09 | |
JP210672/86 | 1986-09-09 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0259830A1 true EP0259830A1 (en) | 1988-03-16 |
EP0259830B1 EP0259830B1 (en) | 1991-01-23 |
Family
ID=27317455
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP87113105A Expired EP0259830B1 (en) | 1986-09-09 | 1987-09-08 | Sorting machine |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US4836529A (en) |
EP (1) | EP0259830B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3767619D1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19538581C1 (en) * | 1995-10-17 | 1997-06-19 | Bdt Buero Datentech Gmbh | Device for ejecting paper sheets into receiver |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CH680201A5 (en) * | 1988-07-11 | 1992-07-15 | Daverio Ag | |
US5048819A (en) * | 1990-01-15 | 1991-09-17 | Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd. | Sorting machine having an uppermost tray which is only used in the non-sorting mode |
JP3148948B2 (en) * | 1992-07-03 | 2001-03-26 | コニカ株式会社 | Sorter |
JP3204846B2 (en) * | 1994-06-22 | 2001-09-04 | ニスカ株式会社 | Sorter |
US6250627B1 (en) * | 1999-03-22 | 2001-06-26 | Gradco (Japan) Ltd. | Selective sheet delivery apparatus |
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GB1248100A (en) * | 1968-07-29 | 1971-09-29 | Norfin | Improvements in collator devices |
US4576371A (en) * | 1982-05-31 | 1986-03-18 | Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. | Sorter having guide members |
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US3414254A (en) * | 1966-01-17 | 1968-12-03 | Norfin | Sheet collating device |
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GB1341579A (en) * | 1971-08-25 | 1973-12-28 | Tensator Ltd | Spiral springs and methods of making them |
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US4361320A (en) * | 1978-12-21 | 1982-11-30 | Ricoh Company, Ltd. | Sheet distribution method and apparatus |
GB2055086B (en) * | 1979-07-19 | 1983-04-07 | Ricoh Kk | Collating appparatus for copying machine |
US4322069A (en) * | 1979-11-02 | 1982-03-30 | Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. | Sheet sorting apparatus |
JPS5678768A (en) * | 1979-11-27 | 1981-06-27 | Konishiroku Photo Ind Co Ltd | Sorter |
US4405225A (en) * | 1980-12-23 | 1983-09-20 | Donald L. Snellman | Collator |
US4548403A (en) * | 1981-11-18 | 1985-10-22 | Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha | Sorter |
JPS58144052A (en) * | 1982-02-19 | 1983-08-27 | Canon Inc | Handling device of sheet |
JPS58183563A (en) * | 1982-04-16 | 1983-10-26 | Toshiba Corp | Apparatus for sorting and receiving blank |
JPS58220053A (en) * | 1982-06-12 | 1983-12-21 | Fuji Xerox Co Ltd | Sorter finisher |
JPS58220054A (en) * | 1982-06-12 | 1983-12-21 | Fuji Xerox Co Ltd | Sheet guiding device of sorter |
JPS58220056A (en) * | 1982-06-12 | 1983-12-21 | Fuji Xerox Co Ltd | Sheet aligning device of sorter |
US4561647A (en) * | 1984-02-13 | 1985-12-31 | Snellman Donald L | Sheet deflector and conveyor drive |
US4580775A (en) * | 1984-03-02 | 1986-04-08 | Ikegani Tsushinki Company, Ltd. | Sheet sorting apparatus |
JPS6118268U (en) * | 1984-07-06 | 1986-02-01 | ミノルタ株式会社 | sorter |
JPH0669863B2 (en) * | 1984-10-04 | 1994-09-07 | ミノルタカメラ株式会社 | Sorter |
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US4635755A (en) * | 1985-01-16 | 1987-01-13 | Ametek, Inc. | Backwound pre-stressed spring motor and method |
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JP3033925B2 (en) * | 1992-09-02 | 2000-04-17 | サンデン株式会社 | Liquid sensor for pipeline |
-
1987
- 1987-08-28 US US07/090,506 patent/US4836529A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-09-08 DE DE8787113105T patent/DE3767619D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1987-09-08 EP EP87113105A patent/EP0259830B1/en not_active Expired
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GB1248100A (en) * | 1968-07-29 | 1971-09-29 | Norfin | Improvements in collator devices |
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DE19538581C1 (en) * | 1995-10-17 | 1997-06-19 | Bdt Buero Datentech Gmbh | Device for ejecting paper sheets into receiver |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US4836529A (en) | 1989-06-06 |
DE3767619D1 (en) | 1991-02-28 |
EP0259830B1 (en) | 1991-01-23 |
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